Affiliate marketing is increasingly seen as the superior alternative to traditional advertising. It is less costly per acquired customer, more targeted, its return-on-investment measurement is more transparent, and it typically feels less intrusive for the customer.
Of course, just like any other type of marketing, there are right and wrong ways to do affiliate marketing. Some common mistakes affiliate marketers make include promoting the wrong product to the wrong audience, appearing untrustworthy, or just promoting a program that isn’t worth it for the marketers themselves. Avoiding such mistakes usually involves many steps that must be discussed at length. However, picking the right affiliate marketing program is the first and arguably most important one.
Below, we will go over the seven best affiliate marketing programs as of today. Of course, these aren’t the only great programs out there, and this list isn’t fully exhaustive. We are also purposefully focusing on singular affiliate programs, not affiliate networks, as those are worthy of their own list. So, while we urge you to also look into other programs, the seven below are the ones we’d recommend you look into first.
AWeber
AWeber has been on the scene since 1998, and since then, it has become the primary autoresponder choice of over a million entrepreneurs and businesses looking for email drip campaigns. AWeber offers a tiered affiliate marketing program with higher percentages the more customers you refer to it – from 30% for 0-10 clients to up to 50% per customer if you go over 50 referrals. Those commissions are also recurring because AWeber is a monthly subscription program, and the affiliate marketer gets those 30-50% commissions for every monthly payment.
There is a minimum sales threshold of $30, however, and AWeber’s only payment method of choice is PayPal. Yet, the limitless earnings potential is more than worth it, and the cookie life (i.e., the period after the client’s first link click for which affiliate marketers will still get a commission) is a whole year.
GetResponse
GetResponse is another excellent multi-tier affiliate marketing program. However, its two sign-up tiers differentiate between individuals and medium-to-large companies. There are also two affiliate programs to choose from – a self-hosted offer with a 33% recurring commission and a high-commission single-sale CJ (Commission Junction) Affiliate program with only a 30-day cookie life compared to the 120 days of the in-house program. GetResponse also supports a variety of payment methods, including ACH, Eurotransfer, PayPal, and USD checks.
Bet365
Affiliate marketing programs for online casinos and other online betting platforms have become increasingly popular in recent years since the online gambling scene has been booming. In fact, many experts are concluding that iGaming is one of the best niches for affiliate marketing right now.
With that being the case, our first go-to for online gambling affiliate marketing is Bet365. Not only is Bet365 one of the biggest names on the online casino and sports betting scene, but the brand also invests heavily in advertising, including affiliate marketing. This translates into a competitive commission of 30% from the revenue generated by every referred player, a long cookie duration of 45 days, and no negative carryover should the referred player win and cost the casino money.
Systeme.io
A fantastic program with 50% lifetime recurring commissions, Systeme.io is excellent if your audience is trying to build, grow, and scale an online business. Systeme.io has six distinct pricing packages ranging between a few dozen to a few hundred dollars. Affiliates can work with all six and earn up to 50% commissions, including an additional 5% second-tier commissions should their referrals bring in new people too. The cookie life for Systeme.io affiliates is 180 days, and this program works with either PayPal or wire transfers.
Shopify
Shopify needs no introduction, which makes both our job and the job of Shopify’s marketing affiliates that much easier. There are over 20 million merchants on Shopify, the program is free to join, and it gives experts a great opportunity to monetize their audience. Shopify gives its affiliates access to a global creative library, curated email programming, a monthly newsletter, and lead magnets.
Commissions come in the form of up to $150, cookies last up to 30 days, and the favored payment methods are PayPal and direct deposit.
7StarPartners
The commission rates you can expect from 7StarPartners range from 45% to 60% of the revenue share generated from the players you have referred. In addition to these lucrative percentages, the program enables you to promote a wide range of brands, such as Campobet Casino, YoYoCasino, AlfCasino, LibraBet Casino, BoaBoa Casino, and Casinia Casino. Choosing the right brand for your audience is vital to maximize the revenue each referral will generate.
Furthermore, 7StarPartners also have a cookie duration of up to one month, have no negative carryover, and work with various payment methods such as Bitcoin, PayPal, WebMoney, Neteller, Skrill, or bank wire transfers convenient for all money gaming activity.
Gamesys Group Partners
Another good option for those who want to try gambling affiliate marketing, Gamesys Group Partners has been around for over two decades. In that time, they have amassed an extensive portfolio of trendy gaming options, including Tropicana Atlantic City, Rainbow Riches Casino, Monopoly Casino, and Virgin Casino. If any of these sound suitable for your followers, Gamesys Group Partners offer up to 45% commissions, a two-month cookie duration, and various payment methods that include Neteller, ecoPayz, Skrill, and bank transfers.
Conclusion
The affiliate marketing space is so vast and rich that a mere listicle of just seven suggestions can’t possibly exhaust all the best options. It can give you a good start, however, as well as some excellent insight into the best practices in the market right now. How you move forward from here is up to you, but don’t forget who started you on this path when you hit the big time. Best of luck!
